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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · temple · rash · plane · season · can · ground · rush

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. season — of the year
  4. rash — a series
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. ground — crushed
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. ground — a position
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. stem — to come from
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rash — hasty
  13. season — in sport
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ground — the earth
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. can — a tin
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. can — a tin
  24. plane — in geometry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com